As one of the UAE’s foremost real estate development companies, Bloom Holding is deeply committed to enriching the lives of its customers through developing, managing and operating communities, schools and hotels – with excellence at its core.
With over 15 years of operations, Bloom Holding has successfully developed over 5,000 units across Abu Dhabi and Dubai and has over 7,000 more in the pipeline.
In this interview, Bloom Holding CEO, Carlos Wakim, discusses the company’s board portfolio, integrated communities, and leadership lessons he learned throughout the years.
Bloom Holding has a broad portfolio, with significant projects in real estate, education, hospitality, facilities management, and landscaping. How do all these entities contribute to the company’s overall growth?
Each vertical of Bloom Holding plays a crucial role in our overall vision. By excelling in real estate, education, facilities management and hospitality, we actively work towards developing premium communities, offering best-in-class services, providing exceptional educational opportunities, and crafting attractive destinations in the UAE.
In real estate, we take great pride in our position as one of the UAE’s foremost developers of highly desirable, mixed-use communities in prime locations. At Bloom Holding, we focus on projects that deliver attractive returns on investment and long-term rental yields for investors and end-users. What sets us apart in the real estate sector is our ability to meet market needs by providing fully integrated premium communities with thoughtfully designed homes and a wide range of amenities and facilities that suit the unique needs of residents of all generations.
Education is also a fundamental aspect that lies at the heart of our vision. We are part of Abu Dhabi’s Charter Schools program, and we have partnerships with top-tier international schools such as Brighton College which has ranked as the top-performing school group in the UAE for A-levels and GCSE results. We also own Bloom World Academy in Dubai and Bloom Nursery at Bloom Gardens in Abu Dhabi. Our education portfolio serves over 21,000 students across 18 schools.
Additionally, Bloom Holding has made its mark in the hospitality sector, establishing itself as an owner and operator of internationally recognized five-star hotels and luxury hotel apartments, with 851 hotel rooms and serviced apartments across Marriott Downtown Abu Dhabi, The Abu Dhabi EDITION, and Bloom Arjaan by Rotana.
When it comes to services, Bloom Holding prioritizes energy-saving measures and various conservation programs implemented through its facilities management arm, bfm and Bloom Landscape.
Bloom Living is one of your standout projects and it offers an all-inclusive lifestyle with premium amenities. Can you discuss the vision behind Bloom Living? How does it cater to the unique needs of residents of the UAE?
Bloom Holding is driven by its vision to go beyond the buyers’ and investors’ expectations through detail-oriented designs that meet the aspirations of new urban communities in their demand for a better lifestyle and quality of life. While real estate trends are constantly evolving, there is a growing interest in communities that provide residents with access to everything they may need which is why all-inclusive, fully integrated communities such as Bloom Living provide an excellent proposition to residents in the UAE.
Bloom Living is a lifestyle destination that seeks to create a true sense of community with an emphasis on indoor-outdoor living. The project redefines community living by seamlessly integrating residential, commercial, and recreational spaces within a single all-inclusive location, right in the heart of Abu Dhabi.
Inspired by Mediterranean Spanish architecture, Bloom Living will feature over 4,500 homes including villas, townhouses, and apartments. This AED9 billion development has been thoughtfully designed so that all the facilities and services are within walking distance for every resident, including multiple uninterrupted, interconnected parks and a clubhouse.
Additionally, at the heart of Bloom Living lies a Town Center, a vibrant community destination that offers an array of exquisite restaurants and cafés available for both residents and visitors, as well as a variety of retail options and services such as a medical clinic, a wellness center and a supermarket, to ensure that residents can obtain all their daily necessities without the need to leave Bloom Living.
The focal point will be a large lake around which residents can walk, run, and cycle on designated trails. For gatherings and leisure activities, the community features multi-purpose amphitheaters and Sunset and Sunrise Plazas with spectacular views. Moreover, Bloom Living comprises places of worship and two outstanding international schools.
Backed by over 25 years of leadership experience, you’ve successfully expanded Bloom Holding’s portfolio internationally. Can you talk more about that?
Our strategic expansion has been pivotal in reinforcing Bloom Holding’s reputation as one of the UAE’s foremost developers. Together with LEAD Development, we have signed a joint venture agreement with high-end residential developer Mabel Capital to co-develop “Mabel Marbella Residences” in Spain. This marks a major milestone in our journey to fulfill our international expansion strategy, explore opportunities in high-growth real estate markets, and launch our premium projects in Europe. Bloom Holding has also expanded its education portfolio internationally through a joint venture with New Era Education and New Giza Real Estate Development to launch an international school in Egypt.
By developing integrated communities, entering new international markets, and forming key partnerships, Bloom Holding has been able to offer premium properties that attract both investors and homeowners from across the globe.
Bloom Holding has seen remarkable revenue growth under your leadership. What do you attribute this success to?
The impressive revenue growth at Bloom Holding is due to several key factors.
Bloom Holding has a customer-centric long-term mindset, it focuses on developing premium mixed-use communities that deliver attractive returns on investment and long-term rental yields for investors and end-users. We also have a track record of delivering projects ahead of schedule, providing residents with timely access to their homes and enhancing their overall experience with us.
Our thoughtfully designed developments, such as the fully integrated and all-inclusive master-planned community Bloom Living, are designed to ensure long-term prosperity and enhance the quality of life for our residents. Additionally, our ambitious international expansion plan has seen us launch new ventures in education and real estate.
I remain laser-focused on establishing robust short- and long-term goals that create value for Bloom Holding’s customers by providing high-quality products and highly desirable environments in key locations.
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Can you share some of the most important leadership lessons you learned over the years? What advice can you give to entrepreneurs in the real estate sector?
Bloom Holding has built a culture of teamwork and determination, where open communication is not just encouraged but embedded in our daily operations. I strongly advise everyone to follow this culture.
I believe collaboration among employees leads to streamlined project execution. This collaborative ethos is evident in all the projects we have handed over to date, especially those delivered on or ahead of schedule. We believe that leading with resilience, adaptability, and empathy leads to unmatched success.
By prioritizing collaboration and building a strong sense of teamwork, any entrepreneur or CEO can ensure that their projects not only meet but exceed the highest standards of quality and customer satisfaction.
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